Afghanistan: Interpreters

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received of threats from the Taliban to the lives and safety of Afghan interpreters who have worked with United Kingdom armed forces.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has received a number of claims of alleged intimidation by MOD-employed locally engaged staff since 2009. The MOD uses a range of protection and handling measures; for example, providing security advice to staff and their families, granting extended leave, or transferring staff to different jobs to manage possible intimidation, as appropriate to the situation. We have also set up a dedicated Police team in Afghanistan to investigate any such cases.

Apprenticeships

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total number of staff employed by the Office of Fair Trading on 1 May 2013; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: 538 staff were employed at the Office of Fair trading (OFT) on 1 May 2013 (not including agency staff, contractors or secondees in from private organisations). None were under the age of 21 and none were apprentices.

Apprenticeships

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total number of staff employed by UK Trade & Investment on 1 May 2013; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is not an employer its own right and the majority of its staff are employed by one or other of its two parent departments—the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	Of the 550 individuals working on behalf of UKTI, none are currently under the age of 21 while 3 are over the age of 21 and on an apprenticeship scheme.

Armed Forces: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with governments in Africa in relation to the provision of training of their armed forces in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the operation of United Kingdom unmanned aerial vehicles; and whether they will (1) name any country involved, and (2) indicate the year in which any such activities took place.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence has not discussed the provision of training on the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with any government in Africa. The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) uses tactical handheld Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) UAS and simulated (by a manned aircraft) UAS for the purpose of training British Forces in Kenya. This use has been agreed with both the Kenyan MOD and the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority. Individual flights are notified to the Kenyan authorities.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum seekers were (1) granted, and (2) refused, permission to work in each of the last ten years.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The data requested on the number of asylum seekers that were granted and refused permission to work is only held at the level of coordinated paper case files or within the notes sections of the Home Office's databases. Such data is not aggregated in national reporting systems, which would mean these questions could only be answered through a disproportionately expensive manual case search to collate the data.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s To ask Her further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 3 June (WA 101–2), (1) what the “normal merits test” consists of, (2) whether they have plans to allow asylum seekers to seek permission to find employment outside the roles listed on the shortage occupation list, and (3) what evidence they have that enhancing the rights of all asylum seekers (a) acts as a pull factor for fraudulent claimants, (b) erodes public support for the asylum system, and (c) encourages individuals to undertake dangerous journeys to the European Union.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: (1) The “normal merits test” referred to in the response to the noble Lord's previous question (HL317) is the merits test applied by legal representatives in order to determine whether a potential client may qualify for legal aid. It is also know as the “Interests of Justice Test”. Further information about this test can be found on the Ministry of Justice’s website at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/legal-aid/assess-your-clients-eligibility/interests-of-justice-test
	(2) There are no plans to expand access to work for asylum seekers beyond jobs on the Shortage Occupation List.
	(3) The Government believes that it is important to strike the right balance between securing the rights of asylum seekers, who may or may not have a genuine need of protection, and the operation of a fair and effective immigration system that protects the rights of citizens. The factors driving the behaviour of asylum seekers, including their choice of destination, are complex but the UK’s own experience and our observations of the experience of EU partners is that where the balance is wrong the number of unfounded claims goes up. We did not think that the recast European Directive on Reception Conditions achieved a balance that was in the best interest of the UK so have not opted in to it.

Benefits: Motability Scheme

Lord Hardie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in each of the local authority districts in Scotland were, by reason of the level of the award to them of Disability Living Allowance, eligible to participate in the Motability Scheme in (1) 2010, (2) 2011 and (3) 2012.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in each of the local authority areas in England and Wales were, by reason of the level of the award to them of Disability Living Allowance, eligible to participate in the Motability Scheme in (1) 2010, (2) 2011 and (3) 2012.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in each of the local authority districts in Scotland participated in the Motability Scheme in (1) 2010, (2) 2011 and (3) 2012.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in each of the local authority areas in England and Wales participated in the Motability Scheme in (1) 2010, (2) 2011 and (3) 2012.

Lord Freud: People entitled to the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance may transfer part or the whole of their award to Motability in order to lease or buy a vehicle. The latest data showing the numbers of people being paid the higher rate mobility component, by each local authority in England, Scotland and Wales, can be found at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/dla/ccla/ ccmobpay/a_carate_r_ccla_c_ccmobpay _nov12.html
	Guidance for users is available at: http://research.dwp. gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
	The Department does not hold information on the numbers of Motability customers in each local authority district or area of Great Britain. This information may be held by the Motability scheme and you can write to them at the following address.
	The Director,
	Motability,
	Warwick House,
	Roydon Road,
	Harlow,
	Essex
	CM19 5PX

British Citizenship

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many leaders of (1) the Pakistan People's Party, (2) the Pakistan Muslim League (N), (3) the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), and (4) the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, were granted British citizenship between 2001 and 2010; and who they were.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: For reasons of confidentiality, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Dogs: Micro-chips

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will implement and enforce mandatory micro-chipping of dogs from April 2016, and whether they will make provision for means-tested micro-chipping for owners who cannot afford the fee.

Lord De Mauley: Regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to require the microchipping of all dogs in England will be laid in Parliament next year. The requirement will come into force from April 2016. From that time, any dog that comes to the attention of the authorities, either because its behaviour is a concern or because it has strayed, can be scanned to see if it has a microchip. If the dog does not have a microchip the owner will be asked to rectify this or face a costly fine. Means testing for the cost of fitting a microchip is not necessary. Many of the animal welfare charities are currently offering free microchipping at all their centres, and where a charge is incurred by others, this is very small compared to the cost of keeping a dog.

EU: Trade Agreements

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that the National Health Service will be excluded from the forthcoming European Union-United States negotiations on the liberalisation of trade and investment between those two parties; and, if so, how.

Earl Howe: The Government would not agree to a trade agreement that was damaging to the National Health Service. Through the formal structures provided in the Treaty to consult Member States and through informal dialogue with Commission officials, the Government is continually assessing what the latest developments from on-going negotiations might mean for the United Kingdom in practice. If it seemed that negotiations were heading in a direction that could disturb the NHS, the Government would seek removal of the offending text. As a last resort, the Government would block the agreement through insisting the agreement be decided by unanimity.

Exports and Imports

Lord Dobbs: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of United Kingdom exports to, and imports from, Syria in each of the last five years.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: For the period January to December 2012 UK exports to Syria were £26.4 million, UK imports were £9.1million.
	For the period January to December 2011 UK exports to Syria were £85.3 million, UK imports were £20.9million.
	For the period January to December 2010 UK exports to Syria were £132.9 million, UK imports were £26million.
	For the period January to December 2009 UK exports to Syria were £147.1 million, UK imports were £77.2million.
	For the period January to December 2008 UK exports to Syria were £93 million, UK imports were £117 million.

Government Departments: Meetings

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the minutes of each meeting of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Departmental Board since May 2010.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department for Business (BIS) publishes information on the work and remit of the Departmental Board in its Annual Report and Accounts. This includes information on the Board’s performance and effectiveness, an overview of the discussions that took place and a report from the Lead Non-Executive Director.
	BIS does not intend to publish full minutes of the Departmental Board meetings. This is to enable board members to continue to discuss strategic issues honestly and candidly with each other during board meetings. This approach is in keeping with companies across the private sector and many large public sector organisations.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff directly employed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are currently studying for a postgraduate qualification; and how much the Department spent in 2012–13 to support staff training for postgraduate qualifications.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The majority of the department for Business (BIS) training budget is delegated to the individual business units. This enables them to target resources to their learning priorities.
	BIS policy on funding such qualifications is in line with summer 2010 Cabinet Office guidance that a strong business case is required, eg for staff holding particular professional posts requiring postgraduate level expertise.
	BIS does not centrally record details of individual qualifications. To collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many senior civil servants directly employed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have held their current position for at least (1) one year, (2) two years, (3) three years, (4) four years, and (5) five years.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department for Business (BIS) was created in 2009 following the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. BIS underwent a further restructuring in 2011.
	Length of time in post data for the entire BIS Senior Civil Service is not captured on the BIS Human Resources system although it is hoped that a new system currently being introduced will enable this date to be extracted.
	Details of the length of time in current post for BIS Directors and Directors General has been obtained manually and is set out in the answer to PQ 2013/299.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many directors and director generals in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have held their current position for at least (1) one year, (2) two years, (3) three years, (4) four years, and (5) five years.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department for Business (BIS) was created in 2009 following the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. BIS underwent a further restructuring in 2011.
	Details of the length of time in current post for BIS Directors and Directors General in core BIS is as follows:
	
		
			 Time In Post <1 1 2 3 4 5 
			 Director General 2 2 1 1 1 0 
			 Director 3 11 8 6 1 2

Health: Ophthalmology

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have received retinopathy screening in each year since it was introduced; and how many of those who had that screening were referred on for further testing.

Earl Howe: Data on the number of people with diabetes who were offered and received screening for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy from October 2009 to March 2013 is available on NHS England's website at: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/integrated-performance-measures-monitoring/diabetes-data/
	Data on the number of people receiving screening for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy before October 2009 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Period End (cumulative 12 month total to end of year) Number of people receiving screening 
			 Mar-05 1,076,388 
			 Mar-06 1,232,043 
			 Mar-07 1,256,463 
			 Mar-08 1,324,354 
			 Mar-09 1,538,168 
			 Sep-09 1,587,626 
		
	
	The NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (NDESP) are able to provide data from 2007 to 2012 relating to the numbers of patients referred to hospital eye services following a positive test. The data is set
	out in the following table. This data is submitted by local screening programmes on an annual basis to NDESP.
	
		
			 Reporting Period Number of patients referred to an ophthalmology clinic following a positive test relating to a screening event within the reported time period 
			 2007-08 44,139 
			 2008-09 62,033 
			 2009-10 81,691 
			 2010-11 98,413 
			 2011-12 90,801

Immigration: Detention

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Matrix Evidence Economic analysis of alternatives to long term detention, specifically (1) of the potential savings that improved risk assessment procedures could provide, (2) of the comparative costs of (a) detaining, and (b) providing section 4 support to migrants, and (3) of the proposal that reinvestment in intensive community-based support could generate increased rates of (a) case resolution and (b) voluntary return.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Where an individual is detained under immigration powers pending removal, the Home Office aims to ensure that detention is kept to the minimum and that removal takes place promptly. The Home Office is aware of the costs of detention but these are balanced in individual cases against the risks of absconding, re-offending and subsequent harm to the public. Where a detainee refuses to cooperate with the removal process, detention may also be prolonged. Those who are detained are able to apply to an independent immigration judge for bail.

Immigration: Detention

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the Detained Fast Track programme in the light of Guideline IV of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Guidelines on the Applicable Criteria and Standards relating to the Detention of Asylum-Seekers and Alternatives to Detention 2012 that detention “must be an exceptional measure”.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: A specific review of the Detained Fast Track (DFT) processes in light of Guideline IV is not planned.
	The Home Office works closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and has consulted with its representatives on a number of occasions regarding DFT policy. The 2012 guidelines were brought to the attention of policy officials following publication, at which time they were carefully examined.
	Guideline IV of the UNHCR document lays out a number of limited bases in which it considers asylum applicants may be detained. The Guideline does not admit the basis under which DFT has consistently operated.
	The Home Office has considered the Guidelines and we continue to believe that where applied carefully, on a case by case basis and in circumstances limited by law and our published policy, the detention of asylum applicants for a short period while their need for protection is assessed is fair, lawful and appropriate.

Immigration: Detention

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to introduce (1) a time limit on the separation of families within immigration detention, and (2) procedures for carrying out best interests assessments on children as recommended by the Bail for Immigrant Detainees’ Fractured Childhoods report.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Where a parent is detained under immigration powers pending removal and thereby separated from their family, the Home Office aims to ensure that detention is kept to a minimum and that removal takes place promptly. There are no plans to introduce a time limit on such separations.
	Neither are there are any plans to introduce best interest assessments as recommended in the Bail for Immigration Detainees' report. However, the Home Office already considers children's best interests at relevant stages whenever immigration functions are carried out.

Northern Ireland: Legislation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Randerson on 22 May (WA 88–9), whether any record was kept by the Northern Ireland Office of formal requests made to the Northern Ireland Executive for legislative consent for the extension of provisions in United Kingdom Parliament Bills to Northern Ireland; and, if so, whether they will use those records to collate details of those that were refused or not proceeded with in the last three years.

Baroness Randerson: The Northern Ireland Office keeps no central records of requests made to the NI Executive for Legislative Consents for the extension of provisions in Westminster Bills to Northern Ireland. Consequently the details sought for the past three years cannot be provided.

Prisoners: Privileges

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to ensure that male and female convicted prisoners receive equal treatment as regards access to privileges.

Lord McNally: We announced an overhaul of the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme on 30 April, with the revised scheme coming into effect from November 2013. That announcement related only to adult male prisoners, but we have now decided that the new arrangements will be implemented across both the male and female adult estates. The new arrangements will see the introduction of a centralised privileges and facilities list which will ensure that prisons operate to a consistent standard when rewarding prisoners for positive behaviour and engaging with efforts to rehabilitate them.
	The opportunity for prisoners to wear their own clothing is a key earnable privilege under the IEP scheme. Under the gender specific standards that were introduced to reflect the different needs of women offenders, women are not required to wear prison issue clothing. This will continue to be the case under the revised scheme.

Statistics

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to criticisms by the United Kingdom Statistics Authority about their use of official statistics; what publicity they gave to any such response; and whether they are taking any steps to review their use of statistics.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The relevant Government department considers any comments made by the UK Statistics Authority on their use of statistics on a case by case basis, and responds as appropriate. The National Statistician is responsible for overseeing statistical work in Government, and ensures that current approaches are reviewed and best practice included in professional development and procedures where necessary.

UK Border Agency

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what independent checks are carried out to ensure that (1) Rule 35 reports are being submitted by the UK Border Agency, (2) caseowners act on them appropriately within 48 hours, and (3) detailed records are kept of the process in case of future legal challenge.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Internal checks on Rule 35 performance operate through a system of regular and ad hoc management information reporting, which informs performance management. There are no separate independent checks carried out in respect of Rule 35 performance.
	Rule 35 reports are not submitted by the Home Office, but by doctors working in Immigration Removal Centres, according to their professional judgement, in the circumstances Rule 35 requires.
	Management information records the process compliance of Home Office staff responsible for responding to Rule 35 reports, according to the relevant timescales. Quality standard measures are currently being finalised and will be introduced as part of wider audit sampling measures. These checks will look at both process compliance and decision quality.
	Manual and electronic management information records certain key indicators. Case files, written correspondence and free text fields in our electronic systems will record more detailed information. The specific nature of any legal challenge will determine the information that will need to be drawn from these sources.

Visas

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that performers and groups visiting the United Kingdom receive their visas in time so as to enable them to meet their scheduled performances.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: We aim to make decisions on such visas within 15 working days but we often return decisions to the customer well within this deadline. Our overseas staff are always mindful of travel plans and we always advise customers to ensure they apply in good time to meet their scheduled performances in the UK. For those customers who require a faster turnaround time we are pleased to offer a Priority Visa service in all major locations.